Sustainability Science Research Articles

Research on student engagement in distance learning in sustainability science to design an online intelligent assessment system

Research on student engagement in distance learning in sustainability science to design an online intelligent assessment system

“I Feel Good, I Am a Part of the Community”: Social Responsibility Values and Prosocial Behaviors during Adolescence, and Their Effects on Well-Being

Developing social responsibility values and a sense of community during adolescence is an important step that leads to prosocial behaviors toward others and feeling good about oneself and fellow community members. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, sustainability is considered in a broader perspective as aimed at the development of human society, improving individual well-being and the quality of life for individuals and communities. In this sense, from a psychology of sustainability perspective, it is important to better understand the meaning of the connections between individual development and communities and the complexity of their relationships. The present study investigates the relationship between social responsibility values and well-being during adolescence, in a sample of 1925 students aged 14 to 20 years, also examining the mediating role of the sense of community and prosocial behaviors. Our mediational analysis suggests that the relation between social responsibility values and well-being is fully mediated by the sense of community and prosocial behaviors. Moreover, the sense of community has a direct effect on prosocial behaviors. This study, thus, provides new evidence and enlarges the wider sustainability science of how values and social participation enhance well-being.

How the Biophysical Paradigm Impedes the Scientific Advancement of Ecological Economics: A Transdisciplinary Analysis

Ecological economics (EE), which typically conceptualizes the economy as a biophysical entity that grows into a finite ecosystem, was poised to become “economics as a life science”, or the science of sustainability, and thus an alternative to mainstream economics. However, while there is consensus among researchers that it has failed to become so, there is consensus neither on the underlying causes of this failing, nor on what exactly the heterodox alternative is. For instance, biophysical economists tend to see the biophysical paradigm (BP) as the key to scientific advancement, while institutional economists tend to see it as an impediment. The current research addresses this lack of consensus. To set the foundations for an in-depth and necessarily transdisciplinary analysis, this article first reiterates and elaborates on a fact that typically eludes modern EE: EE’s scientific roots lie not in the BP, but in the analogy of the economy-as-an-organism. This article then formalizes the relationship between this analogy and the BP, to analyze it systematically using cognitive science’s structure-mapping theory, which explains the role of human analogical processing in learning and the advancement of science. The findings suggest that: (1) As a scientific model, the BP is merely a partially articulated form of the economy-as-an-organism analogy, and thus suffers from a type of model specification bias. (2) This bias appears to manifest in EE as a “black box” economy, relationally operationally analogous to a life science studying an organism as if it had no organs. (3) These findings are consistent with those of a recent publication that debates the role of the BP, despite employing very different assumptions and perspectives—thus corroborating the current article’s methods and findings. These findings have an overarching implication: EE may advance scientifically by identifying the economy analogs of fundamental omitted organs, thus facilitating the transfer of causal knowledge from biology to economics to further “economics as a life science” or “the science of sustainability”.

Boundaries of the future: A framework for reflexive scenario practice in sustainability science

Boundaries of the future: A framework for reflexive scenario practice in sustainability science

Building multi-system nexuses in low-carbon transitions: Conflicts and asymmetric adjustments in Norwegian ferry electrification.

While nexus research in sustainability science has investigated the consequences of connected systems, it has paid less attention to the processes of building nexuses which is becoming increasingly important in low-carbon transitions because these often require the creation of new connections between multiple consumption-production systems. Building on multi-system research in the sustainability transitions literature, this paper introduces a conceptual system interface perspective on nexus-building which considers four dimensions (technology, actors, institutions, and resources) that are useful for analyzing nexus-building dynamics. We apply our framework to the case of electrification of ferries in Norway which requires the building of a new interface between the electricity system and the maritime transport system. The case study shows that the system interface was initially characterized by conflicts and tensions in all dimensions, which actors then attempted to resolve through cross-system intermediation and adjustment activities. These activities were asymmetrical because of differences in external pressures, urgency, unequal power relationships, and different degrees of interest in cross-system nexus building. Because important tensions remained unresolved, ferry actors started implementing sub-optimal workaround solutions in the diffusion phase.

Shocks, institutional change, and sustainability transitions.

The role of exogenous shocks in influencing transition processes is of significant interest to a wide variety of research in sustainability science (SS). Such events disturb and interrupt path-dependent processes in sociotechnical systems. Sometimes this can lead to radical departures from existing trajectories, while at other times existing systems can be more resilient, adapting, or reconfiguring in response to a shock. In this paper, we explore the role that exogenous shocks can have on institutional change. The sustainability transition literature, as shaped by the multilevel perspective, has usually focused on shocks as windows of opportunity (WoO) where alternatives can break through due to strategic action. We offer the perspective of imprinting, which places primary attention on shocks leading to immediate and irreversible institutional change with long-term consequences. The usefulness of this concept is explored by examining the impact of two major shocks to the energy system: World War II and the 1973 oil crisis. It is concluded that the imprinting concept enables analysis that is attentive to how the underlying institutions of a system can be rapidly and deeply altered by the dynamics of exogenous shocks. It is argued that imprinting is an important complementary concept, next to windows of opportunity, for sustainability science research aiming to understand the period of turbulence we are living through.

Evolution of the polycrisis: Anthropocene traps that challenge global sustainability.

The Anthropocene is characterized by accelerating change and global challenges of increasing complexity. Inspired by what some have called a polycrisis, we explore whether the human trajectory of increasing complexity and influence on the Earth system could become a form of trap for humanity. Based on an adaptation of the evolutionary traps concept to a global human context, we present results from a participatory mapping. We identify 14 traps and categorize them as either global, technology or structural traps. An assessment reveals that 12 traps (86%) could be in an advanced phase of trapping with high risk of hard-to-reverse lock-ins and growing risks of negative impacts on human well-being. Ten traps (71%) currently see growing trends in their indicators. Revealing the systemic nature of the polycrisis, we assess that Anthropocene traps often interact reinforcingly (45% of pairwise interactions), and rarely in a dampening fashion (3%). We end by discussing capacities that will be important for navigating these systemic challenges in pursuit of global sustainability. Doing so, we introduce evolvability as a unifying concept for such research between the sustainability and evolutionary sciences. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution and sustainability: gathering the strands for an Anthropocene synthesis'.

Cities of the Anthropocene: urban sustainability in an eco-evolutionary perspective.

Cities across the globe are driving systemic change in social and ecological systems by accelerating the rates of interactions and intensifying the links between human activities and Earth's ecosystems, thereby expanding the scale and influence of human activities on fundamental processes that sustain life. Increasing evidence shows that cities not only alter biodiversity, they change the genetic makeup of many populations, including animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms. Urban-driven rapid evolution in species traits might have significant effects on socially relevant ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycling, pollination, water and air purification and food production. Despite increasing evidence that cities are causing rapid evolutionary change, current urban sustainability strategies often overlook these dynamics. The dominant perspectives that guide these strategies are essentially static, focusing on preserving biodiversity in its present state or restoring it to pre-urban conditions. This paper provides a systemic overview of the socio-eco-evolutionary transition associated with global urbanization. Using examples of observed changes in species traits that play a significant role in maintaining ecosystem function and resilience, I propose that these evolutionary changes significantly impact urban sustainability. Incorporating an eco-evolutionary perspective into urban sustainability science and planning is crucial for effectively reimagining the cities of the Anthropocene. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution and sustainability: gathering the strands for an Anthropocene synthesis'.

System confluence and the reinvention of automobility.

The aim of the paper is to provide a longitudinal account of the emergence and stabilization of the automobility system and to assess the contemporary state of the system in the early stages of an ongoing sustainability transition. The production, use, and disposal of cars, in a pervasive global automobility system, are examined to reveal and explain the growing sustainability significance of overlaps with other systems. System-to-system confluence to varying degrees is ongoing with electricity, housing, aerospace, and information, software, and communications systems. The interfaces between multiple systems are evidenced by contestation for legitimacy via technological innovation and organizational experimentation. The result is uncertainty among key actors and stakeholders, institutional reforms, diverse corporate strategies, and emergent societal practices and behaviors. The paper thereby provides a contextualized account of the tension between barriers to change that may preserve the coherence of the automobility system and differential boundary effects arising from the impact of other production-consumption systems that may result in regime fragmentation. Confluence with other systems may resolve some sustainability contradictions but will also create new ones. Appeal to sustainability science will be key to evaluating how far existing sustainability problems will be resolved, and how far new ones will emerge in the automobility transition.

Identifying untapped legal capacity to promote multi-level and cross-sectoral coordination of natural resource governance.

Natural resource governance in the face of climate change represents one of the seminal challenges of the Anthropocene. A number of innovative approaches have been developed in, among others, the fields of ecology, governance, and sustainability sciences for managing uncertainty and scarcity through a coordinated approach to natural resource governance. However, the absence of an enabling legal and regulatory framework has been identified in the literature as one of the primary barriers constraining the formal operationalization of these governance approaches. In this paper, we show how these approaches provide tools for analyzing procedural mandates across governmental levels and sectors in the natural resource governance space. We also find that there has been inadequate consideration of the potential in existing laws and regulations for cross-sectoral and multi-level coordination of natural resource governance. On this basis, we develop and apply a protocol that draws on the traditional legal method of doctrinal analysis to demonstrate how to identify existing, untapped legal capacity to promote coordinated governance of natural resources through an in-depth case study of water resources in South Africa. We then show how these untapped capacities within existing legal structures may be operationalized to improve natural resource governance. Further, this protocol is portable to other countries, provinces (states), and localities around the world.

Towards sustainable conservation science in cultural heritage: bridging the gap between contemporary conservation theory and the philosophy of science in approaches to authenticity questions

As contemporary artists’ practices evolve to incorporate ever-newer forms and approaches, conservators are encountering challenges not met before, that influence the development of sustainable and green treatment methods and materials. Many challenges stem from how we understand and articulate authenticity and cultural heritage. In approaching authenticity, the conservation field seeks to rely on reliable knowledge, supplied by science that has been playing an ever more critical role in conservation and technical art history. While conservation science techniques are relatively well-known to conservators, the foundational ethos of the scientific inquiry that distinguishes science from other intellectual pursuits needs to be clarified. Exploration of the foundational ethos of science and the philosophy of science has lacked in conservation, which creates communication problems for stakeholders with different backgrounds: curators, conservators, art historians, and scientists, who operate in different realms, but need to produce knowledge across disciplines and collectively. To bridge this knowledge gap in authenticity questions, the authors take the perspective of the philosophy of science and discuss what makes the scientific inquiry distinct from other intellectual pursuits in the context of conservation. As a workable solution for cultural heritage, the authors propose adopting a concept of scientific attitude as a science demarcation criterion, introduced by Lee McIntyre. The new demarcation criterion, based on values rather than methodology, offers a sustainable approach to defining the role of present-day science in cultural heritage and building sustainable connections with diverse frameworks of knowledge used in conservation and authenticity questions.

Transforming the Future of Surgeon-Scientists.

To create a blueprint for surgical department leaders, academic institutions, and funding agencies to optimally support surgeon-scientists. Scientific contributions by surgeons have been transformative across many medical disciplines. Surgeon-scientists provide a distinct approach and mindset toward key scientific questions. However, lack of institutional support, pressure for increased clinical productivity, and growing administrative burden are major challenges for the surgeon-scientist, as is the time-consuming nature of surgical training and practice. An American Surgical Association Research Sustainability Task Force was created to outline a blueprint for sustainable science in surgery. Leaders from top NIH-sponsored departments of surgery engaged in video and in-person meetings between January and April 2023. A strength, weakness, opportunities, threats analysis was performed, and workgroups focused on the roles of surgeons, the department and institutions, and funding agencies. Taskforce recommendations: (1) SURGEONS: Growth mindset : identifying research focus, long-term planning, patience/tenacity, team science, collaborations with disparate experts; Skill set : align skills and research, fill critical skill gaps, develop team leadership skills; DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY (DOS): (2) MENTORSHIP: Chair : mentor-mentee matching/regular meetings/accountability, review of junior faculty progress, mentorship training requirement, recognition of mentorship (eg, relative value unit equivalent, awards; Mentor: dedicated time, relevant scientific expertise, extramural funding, experience and/or trained as mentor, trusted advisor; Mentee : enthusiastic/eager, proactive, open to feedback, clear about goals; (3) FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY: diversification of research portfolio, identification of matching funding sources, departmental resource awards (eg, T-/P-grants), leveraging of institutional resources, negotiation of formalized/formulaic funds flow investment from academic medical center toward science, philanthropy; (4) STRUCTURAL/STRATEGIC SUPPORT: Structural: grants administrative support, biostats/bioinformatics support, clinical trial and research support, regulatory support, shared departmental laboratory space/equipment; Strategic: hiring diverse surgeon-scientist/scientists faculty across DOS, strategic faculty retention/ recruitment, philanthropy, career development support, progress tracking, grant writing support, DOS-wide research meetings, regular DOS strategic research planning; (5) COMMUNITY AND CULTURE: Community: right mix of faculty, connection surgeon with broad scientific community; Culture: building research infrastructure, financial support for research, projecting importance of research (awards, grand rounds, shoutouts); (6) THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS: Foundation: research space co-location, flexible start-up packages, courses/mock study section, awards, diverse institutional mentorship teams; Nurture: institutional infrastructure, funding (eg, endowed chairs), promotion friendly toward surgeon-scientists, surgeon-scientists in institutional leadership positions; Expectations: RVU target relief, salary gap funding, competitive starting salaries, longitudinal salary strategy; (7) THE ROLE OF FUNDING AGENCIES: change surgeon research training paradigm, offer alternate awards to K-awards, increasing salary cap to reflect market reality, time extension for surgeon early-stage investigator status, surgeon representation on study section, focused award strategies for professional societies/foundations. Authentic recommitment from surgeon leaders with intentional and ambitious actions from institutions, corporations, funders, and society is essential in order to reap the essential benefits of surgeon-scientists toward advancements of science.

Building Competencies Amongst Youth to Mainstream Knowledge and Soft Skills to Enable a Transformative Impact on the Society

The world is recognizing the relevance and scope of Sustainability Science (SS) as it integrates the disciplines ranging from pure sciences and social sciences and their specializations. Hence, a balance between policies, research, and direct action is integral to the field of SS. Interdisciplinarity is important for SS, and this is a relatively new area. Hence, experiments done within the scope of SS need to be recorded and intensive dissemination of lessons learnt (Haider, 2018). The youth of today should be aware of these new upcoming disciplines and be able to align their strengths to address environmental challenges with interdisciplinary skills. The future belongs to the youth, and they will also be impacted the most. Representative of vibrance and positive energies, young people are our future citizenry. The need of the hour is to enhance their knowledge of sustainability and improve their skill sets. This is achievable only when the capacity-building initiatives are planned with the right mix of pedagogy, limiting not only to subject matter knowledge but beyond, hence touching the sphere of SS. At TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute), different permutations and combinations are tried to make learning creative and, at the same time, have the potential to apply learning in a larger setting. This paper presents the findings of a project run by TERI in partnership with NCSTC (National Council for Science and Technology Communication), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. TERI implemented TERI-NCSTC Eco Next Investigation for Youth, which comprised six trainings of five days each on local environmental issues. Along with core environmental learning, these workshops were also enriched with science communication and leadership training. Post this training; a few selected students worked on action projects that promised a transformative impact in their immediate neighborhoods. Through the program, TERI directly reached out to 175 students and also influenced 20 students to implement pathbreaking changes in their surroundings. The program helped students enhance their knowledge about issues related to nature conservation, eco-restoration, and nature-based solutions through tools that stressed cocreation, leadership skills, innovative approaches, and experimentation. The paper also stresses upon future research area on citizen science concept and ways in which a connect could be established with environmental education.

Identifying Spatiotemporal Patterns of Multiscale Connectivity in the Flow Space of Urban Agglomeration in the Yellow River Basin

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the rise of global sustainability science have led to the increasing recognition of basins as the key natural geographical units for human–land system coupling and spatial coordinated development. The effective measurement of spatiotemporal patterns of urban connectivity within a basin has become a key issue in achieving basin-related SDGs. Meanwhile, China has been actively working toward co-ordinated regional development through in-depth implementation of the Yellow River Basin’s ecological protection and high-quality development. Urban connectivity has been trending in urban planning, and significant progress has been made on different scales according to the flow space theory. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted on the multiscale spatiotemporal patterns of urban agglomeration connectivity. In this study, the urban network in the Yellow River Basin was constructed using Tencent population migration data from 2015 and 2019. It was then divided into seven distinct communities to enable analysis at both the basin and community scales. Centrality, symmetry, and polycentricity indices were employed, and the multiscale spatiotemporal patterns of urban agglomerations in the Yellow River Basin were identified using community detection, complex networks, and the migration kaleidoscope method. Community connectivity was notably concentrated at the basin scale with a centripetal pattern and spatial heterogeneity. Additionally, there was a symmetrical and co-ordinated relationship in population migration between the eastern and western regions of the basin, as well as between the internal and external parts of the basin. At the community scale, there was significant variation in the extent of central agglomeration among different communities, with few instances of similar-level, long-distance, and interregional bilateral links. The utilization of multiscale spatiotemporal patterns has the potential to enhance the comprehension of economic cooperation between various cities and urban agglomerations. This understanding can aid decision-makers in formulating sustainable development policies that foster the spatial integration of the basin.

Knowledge coproduction to improve assessments of nature's contributions to people.

Sustainability science needs new approaches to produce, share, and use knowledge because there are major barriers to translating research into policy and practice. Multiple actors hold relevant knowledge for sustainability including indigenous and local people who have developed over generations knowledge, methods, and practices that biodiversity and ecosystem assessments need to capture. Despite efforts to mainstream knowledge coproduction, less than 3% of the literature on nature's contributions to people (NCP) integrates indigenous and local knowledge (ILK). Approaches and tools to better integrate scientific and ILK knowledge systems in NCP assessments are urgently needed. To fill this gap, we conducted interviews with ILK experts from Abancay and Tamburco, Peru, and convened focus groups and workshops during which participatory mapping, a serious game, a Bayesian belief network based on ILK were introduced. We inventoried 60 medicinal plants used to treat different illnesses, and analyzed the spatial distribution of the 7 plants that contribute the most to a good quality of life, and delineated their nonmedicinal uses. Based on the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services conceptual framework, we defined dimensions of a good quality of life according to indigenous and local worldviews. Medicinal plants contributed strongly to health and household security, among other contributions. Climate change and overexploitation were the main perceived threats to medicinal plants, despite the existence of formal and customary institutions to regulate trade. Our approach was flexible enough to integrate diverse forms of knowledge, as well as qualitative and quantitative information from, for example, the Bayesian belief network.

Uncertainty in boundedly rational household adaptation to environmental shocks.

Despite the growing calls to integrate realistic human behavior in sustainability science models, the representative rational agent prevails. This is especially problematic for climate change adaptation that relies on actions at various scales: from governments to individuals. Empirical evidence on individual adaptation to climate-induced hazards reveals diverse behavioral and social factors affecting economic considerations. Yet, implications of replacing the rational optimizer by realistic human behavior in nature-society systems models are poorly understood. Using an innovative evolutionary economic agent-based model we explore different framings regarding household adaptation behavior to floods, leveraging on behavioral data from a household survey in Miami, USA. We find that a representative rational agent significantly overestimates household adaptation diffusion and underestimates damages compared to boundedly rational behavior revealed from our survey. This "adaptation deficit" exhibited by a population of empirically informed agents is explained primarily by diverse "soft" adaptation constraints-awareness, social influences-rather than heterogeneity in financial constraints. Besides initial inequality disproportionally impacting low/medium adaptive capacity households post-flood, our findings suggest that even under a nearly complete adaptation diffusion, adaptation benefits are uneven, with late or less-efficient actions locking households to a path of higher damages, further exacerbating inequalities. Our exploratory modeling reveals that behavioral assumptions shape the uncertainty of physical factors, like exposure and objective effectiveness of flood-proofing measures, traditionally considered crucial in risk assessments. This unique combination of methods facilitates the assessment of cumulative and distributional effects of boundedly rational behavior essential for designing tailored climate adaptation policies, and for equitable sustainability transitions in general.

Sustainable Powder-Based Additive Manufacturing Technology

A thorough exploration of sustainability in powder-based additive manufacturing (AM) is presented. This review focuses particularly on the design of sustainable alloys for AM. Environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability are covered. The importance of life cycle assessment (LCA) in evaluating environmental impact is discussed. LCA tools are used to analyse factors such as energy consumption, waste management, and air pollution, providing a comprehensive view of AM’s environmental footprint. Additionally, the economic dimension of sustainability is addressed through life cycle costing analysis. Production costs, energy use, and waste management are scrutinised, showcasing AM’s potential cost savings. Social life cycle assessment is introduced to assess societal impacts, focusing on worker welfare, community engagement, and overall societal well-being. A forward-looking concept of predicting sustainability before printing, using a product sustainability index, is presented. The approach emphasises environmentally responsible material selection, considering factors such as global warming potential in alloy design. This study offers a holistic approach to designing sustainable alloys and optimising AM processes through a sustainable materials science paradigm to establish the relationship amongst processing, microstructure, properties, sustainability, and performance.

A transdisciplinary model for teaching and learning for sustainability science in a rapidly warming world

A transdisciplinary model for teaching and learning for sustainability science in a rapidly warming world

Sustainable development of World Cultural Heritage sites in China estimated from optical and SAR remotely sensed data

To address the gap of insufficient and incompatible census data on total per capita expenditure, the percentile score model is proposed as an alternative methodological approach to access the progress toward sustainability of cultural World Heritage List (WHL) properties in China by satellite images. We propose two complementary disturbance indicators: The land cover change ratio (LCR) that is visually detected using high-resolution optical images, and the surface deformation estimated using interferometric radar data. The nexus between Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1 (SDGSAT-1) glimmer data (a proxy for socioeconomic development) and LCR measurements are highly correlated (R2 ≈ 0.8). This pattern does not hold, however, for the deformation indicator considering the complexity of relevant driving forces. First-hand scientific percentile scores reveal that 12/30 WHL properties are in good condition with a percentile score > 90, 16/30 properties are in qualified condition, and the remaining two are in disqualified condition; this could be attributable to limitations of the methodological approach in terms of overestimation or underestimation. The methodology may be improved by testing its performance on the achievement assessment of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11.4.

“Who Are You Wearing?”: Comparative Analysis on the Awareness, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among Selected UPLB Students on Sustainable Fashion in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

This study was conducted to compare the UPLB students' awareness, knowledge, attitudes and practices (AKAP) on sustainable fashion. It also described their socio-demographic characteristics, explained their AKAP on sustainable fashion, analyzed the relationship between their AKAP towards sustainable fashion, and compared the AKAP of students who have not yet taken the HUME 112 (Sustainability Science) course (first cohort) and students who finished the HUME 112 course (second cohort) on sustainable fashion; and formulated recommendations on the AKAP of selected UPLB students. This research was conducted using a quantitative research method with 225 selected UPLB students determined through purposive sampling. A self-administered survey questionnaire through Google Forms was used as a research instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation, and Mann-Whitney U-test. Results showed that the respondents from the first cohort showed a moderate level of awareness, while the respondents from the second cohort showed a high level of awareness. For the knowledge level, both cohorts (first cohort is 77\%, second is 95\%) had a high level of knowledge on sustainable fashion. Both cohorts showed favorable attitudes towards sustainable fashion and had a moderate level of practice towards sustainable fashion. Variables such as awareness and knowledge, awareness and practices, and knowledge and practices had a significant relationship with each other for the first cohort, while only awareness and knowledge and awareness and practices for the second cohort. Lastly, results showed a significant difference in the awareness and knowledge level between the two cohorts.